Author: Baghdasarian Karlen

L’ARMENIE MARQUE LA PREMIÈRE INDEPENDANCE ET LE PRESIDENT SARKISSIAN APPELLE A L’UNITE

Le 28 mai, l’Armenie a marque le premier Jour de la Republique, pour
celebrer la creation du premier Etat democratique de courte duree il
y a 95 ans.

Dans un discours a Sardarapat, une des scènes des batailles heroïques
qui ont conduit a l’independance au debut du 20e siècle, le president
Serge Sarkissian a appele a l’unite pour faire des realisations et
faire respecter l’Etat restaure.

” Il y a 95 ans a Gharakilisa, Bash-Aparan et particulièrement ici,
a Sardarapat, nous avons ete face a l’epreuve fatale. C’etait un test
national pour les jeunes et les vieux, le clerge et les militaires,
les dachnaks et les communistes, des fonctionnaires et la paysannerie.

Chacun d’entre nous. Dans le dernier patch de l’Armenie historique, la
dernière poignee d’Armeniens vivant dans leur patrie ont lutte. Ici,
nous avons arrete et refoule l’ennemi, et le monde n’avait ni
illusions, ni de doutes sur les intentions racistes et anti-armeniennes
de l’adversaire. Voici les Armeniens d’Armenie orientale evitant une
catastrophe imminente. Le genocide qui a pris naissance dans la Turquie
ottomane et a ete constamment perpetres et prolifere a ete arrete
ici en raison de notre esprit d’unite ” a declare Serge Sarkissian.

” Pour beaucoup de pays la declaration d’independance etait un acte
politique, et meme une grande ceremonie alors que pour nous c’etait
un calvaire. Nous ne savions meme pas qu’un ou deux jours après les
batailles courageuses de mai nous allions declarer l’independance.

Nous avons cree l’Etat d’Armenie en plein champ de bataille, au
detriment d’enormes pertes humaines et, grâce a du sang et la foi,
debout l’un derrière l’autre, regardant devant. Uni !

” Le 28 mai 1918 annoncait notre delivrance physique et notre
renaissance politique, par consequent, le courage et la vigueur de
notre peuple se sont superbement manifestes au cours de la Grande
Guerre patriotique et dans la bataille de l’Artsakh. Aujourd’hui,
ici a Sardarapat, l’esprit victorieux temoigne de la meilleure facon
possible que nous connaissons la formule de la survie et de la victoire
” a-t-il poursuivi.

Le president Sarkissian a dit que les jeunes generations ont besoin
qu’on leur rappelle le message important de ceux qui ont fait du 28
mai, une realite.

” Soyez unis ! Consolider votre Etat ! Fiez-vous a votre propre force
! Ainsi, nous sommes capables non seulement de restaurer notre Etat
et l’independance perturbe pendant des siècles, mais faire des progrès
considerables. Les bases ont ete jetees ici et aujourd’hui nous sommes
ici fièrement en tant que citoyens d’un pays libre et independant,
les heritiers de pères heroïques ” a-t-il dit.

vendredi 31 mai 2013, Stephane ©armenews.com

From: Baghdasarian

WE DID NOT ASK FOR ARMENIAN MFA’S OPINION ON SELLING OF ITS BUILDING – CHIEF TREASURER

May 30, 2013 | 17:06

YEREVAN. – The Armenian National Assembly (NA) on Thursday continued
its session devoted to the discussion of the 2012 Budget performance.

During the session, opposition Armenian National Congress bloc
NA Faction Secretary Aram Manukyan asked whether the view of the
Armenian Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) was considered when selling
the Government of Armenia Building No.2-where the country’s Foreign
Affairs, Energy and Natural Resources, and Territorial Administration
Ministries currently function.

In response, First Deputy Finance Minister and Chief Treasurer Atom
Janjughazyan stated that this question is inaccurate because this
building is the property of Armenia, and not the MFA, and therefore
there is no need for MFA’s permission to sell the building.

To note, the Government of Armenia Building No.2 was sold by way
of auction to Tango Company, which belongs to Argentinean-Armenian
businessman Eduardo Eurnekian.

News from Armenia – NEWS.am

From: Baghdasarian

WHAT SANCTIONS TO EXPECT?

03:44 PM | TODAY | POLITICS

Serj Sargsyan messes up relations of Armenia with other countries.

This is Aram Karapetyan’s opinion who is the president of “New Times”
party. Aram Karapetyan met with journalists today in “Varkats”
media club.

“Serj Sargsyan does not have geopolitical concept and plans to develop
the country”, Mr. Karapetyan said.

He also said, that it is not possible to maintain good relations with
everyone, something which is Serj Sargsyan’s aim. Europe and Russia
have different political directions, according to Aram Karapetyan.

“Russia turns its strategic partnership into a union and those sides
which do not agree with the fact are going to go through some sanctions
by Russia”, added the head of “New Times”.

He thinks that this situation requires feeling of reality which is
something the president does not have. “He does not know how to act
in a number of specific situations”, Aram Karapetyan said.

From: Baghdasarian

ARMENIAN-RUSSIAN RELATIONS EXCELLENT – NATIONAL SECURITY COUNCIL SEC

15:20 ~U 30.05.13

Secretary of the National Security Council Artur Baghdasaryan does
not see any crisis in Armenian-Russian relations.

“I believe Armenian-Russian relations are excellent. Armenian-Russian
political dialogue is at a high level – between the presidents and
governments, foreign ministers, security councils. Armenian-Russian
strategic cooperation is successfully developing,” he told Tert.am.

Two high-ranking Russian officials are to visit Armenia soon to
discuss bilateral cooperation.

As to whether Russia raising the gas price for Armenia runs counter
to strategic cooperation, Baghdasaryan said: “It is market economy.

Armenia’s situation is much better that that in other countries. You
can see the prices for individual countries on the ArmRusgasprom site.”

With respect to the gas price, Baghdasaryan believes that Armenia
and Russia will find assistance mechanisms.

“The government will take measures to ease the situation, especially
for socially vulnerable sections. Armenia and Russia will yet discuss
the issue. I think we should consider the gas price rise in recent
five years and the situation in Armenia,” he said.

Armenia should focus on developing its economy to prevent adverse
effects of price rise.

“Of course, any price rise is undesirable, but the government will
take measures,” Baghdasaryan said.

Armenian News – Tert.am

From: Baghdasarian

CYPRUS TROIKA: WHO “STRIPPED” BUSINESSMAN PAYLAK HAYRAPETYAN OF HIS ASSETS?

16:30, May 29, 2013
Ararat Davtyan
Edik Baghdasaryan
Kristine Aghalaryan

The murky dealings of WLISPERA HOLDINGS LIMITED, an offshore company
registered in Cyprus, reveals how elements of Armenia’s powerful state,
church and business sectors have been able to operate in tandem in
the pursuit of their own economic interests.

The company has three equal shareholders – RA Prime Minister Tigran
Sargsyan, Primate of the Ararat Diocese of the Armenian Apostolic
Church Archbishop Navasard Kjoyan, and Ashot Sukiasyan.

WLISPERA (WHL) is directly connected to a case involving the seizure
of assets belonging to businessman Paylak Hayrapetyan.

>From June 25, 2010 to June 15, 2011 Ashot Sukiasyan received periodic
loans of $10.7 million from AmeriaBank. As collateral, however,
he used companies owned by Paylak Hayrapetyan and the latter’s son.

Receiving the money, however, Sukiasyan failed to abide by the loan
agreement conditions and the business plan he had presented. But this
didn’t prevent AmeriaBank to continue freely transferring amounts to
several bank accounts owned by companies registered in Cyprus.

According to instructions of the Dzoragyugh Production Cooperative,
AmeriaBank wired some $9,370,450 of the loan monies transferred to
the cooperative’s bank account to the accounts of several offshore
companies held at the Hellenic Bank Publik Company of Cyprus. The
loan monies were transferred to:

A.B.S. GLOBAL LIMITED- $7, 020, 450 WLISPERA HOLDINGS LIMITED- $350,000
STR EMERALD LIMITED- $2,000,000 Let us present another interesting
fact. A portion of the amounts transferred to the Cyprus offshore
accounts, were transferred back during the same time period to the
Dzoragyugh Production Cooperative accounts at AmeriaBank.

In particular, $3,233,000 was transferred to STR EMERALD and $2,099,733
to WLISPERA.

So who is Ashot Sukiasyan? The press in Armenia has reported about
him on various occasions. According to one report, his godfather is
Ararat Primate Archbishop Navasard Kjoyan and that it was Soukiasyan
who gave an expensive Bentley automobile to the clergyman.

Shares of the Dzoragyugh cooperative are equally owned by Ashot
Sukiasyan, his wife and daughter. It is well-known that he owes a
great deal of money to people not only in Armenia, but also in Africa
and Russia.

He and his family have since left Armenia. Our efforts to contact
Sukiasyan failed.

The police in Armenia have launched a criminal case regarding the
abovementioned loan story, but no one has yet been charged with
anything.

Paylak Hayrapetyan was one of those who reported the crime and tells
how he got caught up in the mess in which his assets are on the verge
of being seized.

“In 2009, when the Armenian government was pushing a plan to develop
the diamond and jewellery sector in the country, I invested $3.5
million and launched a business employing 400. I built a factory
and a trade school to prepare craftspeople. One day, I received a
call from Gagik Kocharyan, then the head of the Trade and Market
Regulatory Department at the Ministry of Economics. He invited me to
see the minister on an urgent matter regarding sector consultation,”
says Paylak Hayrapetyan.

Hayrapetyan says that when he arrived at the ministry, the prime
minister had already exited the consultation. The two met on the
stairway landing. He entered the consultation room and then Economic
Minister Nerses Yeritsyan was seated. On one side was Archbishop
Kjoyan, and on the other, Ashot Sukiasyan.

At the meeting, the minister told the heads of 23 diamond and jewellery
manufacturers that $100 million of the $500 million loan to be given
by Russia would be allocated in the form of raw diamonds.

Moreover, Russia had agreed that Armenia would repay this amount in
the form of cultivated diamonds. The minister presented the demand
of the government to the manufacturers at the meeting; namely that
they would have to employ 10,000 as part of the loan deal.

“Then the minister gave the floor to Ashot Sukiasyan who said that he
owned mines in Sierra Leone in Africa and that he was ready to provide
quality raw material 15% cheaper than the Russian offer, Hayrapetyan
said. “Everyone was happy about this, Yeritsyan and his friends. They
agreed and twenty says later Ashot brought a sample of the material.

At this meeting there were some 17-18 businessmen present. They had
brought experts with them. It turns out that the diamond material
was indeed high quality.”

Sukiasyan, however, noted that he could supply Armenian businessmen
with such material for years on end if a $12 million investment was
made in his African mines to purchase some necessary equipment. Those
present at the meeting, escorted by Trade and Market Regulatory
Department at the Ministry head Gagik Kocharyan, then went to Swiss
Bank.

“Since it was such a large-scale government project and I was the
eldest of those present, I said that I would be able to immediately
place my property as collateral so that the others wouldn’t have to
do so individually. The duration wasn’t that long, just three years,”
recounts Paylak Hayrapetyan.

Sometime later, Ashot Sukiasyan said that Swiss Bank had refused to
grant the loan, but that with the intercession of the prime minister,
Minister Yeritsyan and Archbishop Kjoyan, AmeriaBank had agreed to
loan the money.

Sukiasyan placed $33 million dollars worth of property belonging to
Paylak Hayrapetyan as collateral with the bank and received a $10.7
million loan.

“The business plan, on which the loan was given, was drafted by
AmeriaBank. Sukiasyan paid $6,000 for the plan,” says Hayrapetyan.

The plan was very similar to the government’s plans of 2008 and 2013.

It too was a grandiose plan that envisaged turning Armenia into a world
center for the polishing and sale of diamonds. Of course, this time,
it was the debtor, Dzoraghbyur Ltd., making such a promise according
to the business plan. All the while, the bank transferred monies to
a production cooperative bearing a similar name never noted in the
original business plan.

Thus, the question arises as to why, and upon whose orders, did
AmeriaBank conduct such transcations? Why didn’t it monitor the
expenditures of the loan, especially since the amounts were given
in installments? The bank could have, for example, stopped the
seventh instalment given that the debtor hadn’t performed any of
its obligations regarding the previous six. Furthermore, the bank
“closed its eyes” to the fact that a portion of the loan amounts
had been transferred back to an account that Dzoraghbyur Production
Cooperative had opened in AmeriaBank.

Surprisingly, despite all this, AmeriaBank took title to all the
property seized from Paylak Kayrapetyan.

(to be continued)

Photo (left to right) – Ashot Sukiasyan, RA Prime Minister Tigran
Sargsyan, Archbishop Navasard Kjoyan

From: Baghdasarian

CHARLES AZNAVOUR TO BE CONFERRED TITLE OF HONORARY CITIZEN OF MARSEILLE

14:29 30/05/2013 ” SOCIETY

French-Armenian Excellence Week will be held in the French city of
Marseille on June 17-23, Armenian Diaspora Ministry press service
reported.

The organizers include Armenian Diaspora Ministry, Terre d` Armenie,
ARARAT TV, Armenian-French Chamber of Commerce and Industry of
Marseille, Vice Mayor of Marseille Didier Parakian and head of Armenian
House of Culture and Youth Garo Hovsepian.

Opening ceremonies of exhibition ‘Henri Verneuil’ and Henri Verneuil
Square will take place as part of the program. World famous chansonnier
Charles Aznavour will be conferred the title of Honorary Citizen
of Marseille.

Book launch events and film screenings, a discussion on Artsakh will
take place as part of French-Armenian Excellence Week.

An exposition on Armenian provinces will be held on the Day
of Armenian Tourism. There will be an exhibition and tasting of
traditional Armenian dishes, products of the Armenian Brewery will
also be presented.

Source: Panorama.am

From: Baghdasarian

RUSSIAN S300 ANTI-AIRCRAFT MISSILES ‘DELIVERED TO SYRIA’

11:35 ~U 30.05.13

Syria has already received the first shipment of an advanced Russian
air defence system, Syria’s President Bashar al-Assad is reported to
have said in a Lebanese TV interview.

Russia vowed to go ahead with sending the weapons soon after an EU
decision not to renew an arms embargo on Syria, BBC reports.

“Syria has received the first shipment of Russian anti-aircraft S-300
rockets,” Al Manar quoted Mr Assad as saying in an interview due to be
broadcast later on Thursday.

“The rest of the shipment will arrive soon.”

The S-300 is a highly capable surface-to-air missile system that, as
well as targeting aircraft, also has the capacity to engage ballistic
missiles.

The delivery of such missiles raises fears of further tension with
Israel as Syria has said it will respond directly if Israel launches
any further air attacks on its territory.

Some analysts have characterised the possible use of the missiles as a
“game-changer” in the Syrian conflict.

It is also feared that the missiles could endanger efforts to convene
a peace conference on Syria in Geneva in June.

Syrian Foreign Minister, Walid Muallem, said on Wednesday that Syria’s
armed forces were back on the offensive.

“Our armed forces have regained the momentum,” he told the Lebanese media.

Armenian News – Tert.am

From: Baghdasarian

2013/5/28

IPA Calls for Immediate Release of Publishers and Writers in Turkey

Geneva, 24 May 2013 – As the next hearing of the trial of Ragıp and Deniz
Zarakolu opens on 27 May, the International Publishers Association (IPA)
continues to urge the Turkish authorities to drop all charges against both
publishers and release Deniz Zarakolu, who has been detained for close to
600 days without a verdict, immediately.

Publishers Ragıp and Deniz Zarakolu were among more than 40 people arrested
in October 2011 under the then Koma Civaken Kurdistan (KCK) investigation,
a crackdown on pro-Kurdish circles, which has seen scores of writers,
journalists, and publishers detained following thousands of arrests over
the past two years.
IPA believes that Ragıp and Deniz Zarakolu, and several other writers
and
intellectuals, including academic BüÅ=9Fra Ersanlı, linguist Mulazim Ozcan,
writers Aziz Tunc and AyÅ=9Fe Berktay, are charged solely because of their
publications, which violates Turkey’s international human rights
obligations.

Deniz Zarakolu, a publisher, writer, translator, and PhD student
specializing in political science at Bilgi University, is charged with
`being a member of an illegal organisation’ and risks up to twelve years in
prison if found guilty. He was arrested on 7 October 2011, and has detained
ever since, after giving a lecture at the Political Science Academy of the
pro-Kurdish Peace and Democracy (BDP) opposition party. This party is
legal, and such party-affiliated research academies are common in Turkey.
His father, iconic publisher Ragıp Zarakolu, is charged with `aiding and
abetting an illegal organisation’ and is threatened with up to fifteen
years in prison. He was released on 10 April 2012 following 160 days spent
in a high security prison on pre-trial detention. He risks between 7.5 and
15 years in prison.

IPA’s Freedom to Publish Committee Chair, Bjørn Smith-Simonsen commented:
`Deniz and Ragıp Zarakolu are outspoken, peaceful publishers.
Thinking that
their publishing activity encourages the violent pursuit of political
agendas is a violation of their human rights. IPA therefore urges the
Turkish authorities to drop all charges against Deniz and Ragıp Zarakolu as
soon as possible, and calls on the Turkish authorities to secure the
immediate release of Deniz who spent close to 600 days in prison without a
verdict.

`Turkey is a signatory of international human rights treaties and is
therefore under the obligation to observe individuals’ human rights. IPA
remains concerned that these rights will be denied to the Zarakolus, and
several other intellectuals, including BüÅ=9Fra Ersanlı and AyÅ=9Fe Berktay, who
are also defendants in the KCK case. The definition of terrorism in
Turkey’s Anti-Terrorism Law (ATL) should be seriously narrowed so as to put
an end to abuses’.

Background Information:

Deniz Zarakolu wrote books on Thomas Hobbes and the Turkish justice system.
He also translated Hobbes’ De Cive (`On the Citizen’). He worked at the
Belge publishing house. He had previously been arrested and charged with
`inciting revenge or hatred’ over a speech he gave in 2002
at the funeral
of his mother AyÅ=9Fe Nur Zarakolu, a founding member of the Belge publishing
house, although he was later acquitted.

In June 2012, the 29th IPA Congress adopted a resolution `rejecting the
abuse of broad definitions of terms such as defamation, state security,
state secrecy, or terrorism as dangerous inroads for censorship, harassment
of the media, and undemocratic influencing (…)’. Sadly, Turkey’s strict
anti-terror legislation (ATL) illustrates the resolution above only too
well. The broadness of ATL has allowed the Turkish authorities to curtail
the freedom of expression of many in Turkey, including publishers who have
for a long time advocated freedom to publish for all publishers and
writers. This is particularly true of the Zarakolus. The definition of
terrorism in Article 1 of ATL should be narrowed and several other
provisions of ATL should be either repealed (Article 6/2) or amended
(Article 7/2).

The various cases against the Kurdistan Communities Union (KCK) are
ongoing. In Istanbul there are two KCK cases, including the KCK Press Case
where all of the defendants are journalists or media workers and the
evidence against them is strictly related to their normal, daily
journalistic activities. 44 people have been charged, 24 of them are still
in prison. The next hearing is scheduled for 17-19 June 2013 in Silivri. In
the other Istanbul case, concerning the Zarakolus, a total of 205
defendants are standing trial. The next hearing is scheduled for 27 May-7
June 2013 in Silivri.

For more information, please visit:
`4a89e2e13ccd381d1c47e5d&id=72621d12d7&e=5557503f63

INFO-TURK
53, rue de Pavie
1000 BRUXELLES

Tel: (32-2) 215 35 76
Fax: (32-2) 215 58 60

From: Baghdasarian

NKR President honors Armenian-Russian philanthropist

May 27, 2013 – 21:50 AMT

PanARMENIAN.Net – The Nagorno Karabakh (Artsakh) Republic President
Bako Sahakyan met a Russian philanthropist of Armenian descent Sergey
Hambardzumyan on Monday, May 27.

President Sahakyan awarded the philanthropist with Vachagan Barepasht
medal, thanking Hambardzumyan for his contribution to strengthening
and development of Artsakh.

The meeting further focused on a number of projects being implemented
in NKR, the Central Information Department at Artsakh President’s
Office reported.

From: Baghdasarian

Baku shifting Azeri soldiers’ deaths on Armenians

May 27, 2013 – 20:36 AMT

PanARMENIAN.Net – Armenian Defense Ministry spokesman refuted Azeri
media reports suggesting a soldier was killed in Armenian ceasefire
violation.
“Armenian side did not violate the ceasefire, with Armenian armed
forces continuing their military duty without any violations,” Artsrun
Hovhannisyan told PanARMENIAN.Net
As APA news agency claims, “19-year old soldier of Azerbaijani Army
Namig Hamidov was shot by the enemy in the Terter section of the
frontline. Defense Ministry’s press service confirmed the fact to
APA.”

From: Baghdasarian